[MD] Multiculturalism scam

[Ham Priday]

Greetings, Craig --


> Ham,
> I wonder if diversity of values rather than diversity of
> culture is at issue.
> Consider 3 people:
> A: a white, attends opera, enjoys NASCAR, celebrates
> Christmas & believes that the government should force
> each citizen to be responsible for others.
> B: a brown, attends opera, enjoys NASCAR, celebrates
> Christmas & believes that each citizen is responsible for
> themselves.
> C: a black, attends hip hop concerts, enjoys street jammin',
> celebrates Kwanza & believes that each citizen is responsible
> for themselves.
> A & B share a culture, but not values; B & C share values
> but not a culture.
> You want to be in the audience with A & B, and at the
> polling place with B & C.

I think you are confusing behavior with "culture" and beliefs with "values", 
and trying to split the difference, whereas Value is really the basis of 
both.

Thus, if A and B attend opera and enjoy NASCAR, music and competitive racing 
have value to both.  I assume that "celebrating Christmas" implies a 
religious "value system" for A and B, as well.  The basic difference between 
A and B would appear to be political -- an intellectual or 
socially-influenced
persuasion that I can't account for from the information provided.  However, 
since C values individual responsibility in common with B but not A, my 
first inclination would be to question the integrity of A's value system. 
Also, since Kwanza is a cultural rather than a religious celebration, C's 
value-system may be less aesthetic than A & B's, particularly as "hip-hop 
and street-jammin'" are more expressive of cultural values than a love of 
music.  (Otherwise, I don't see the skin colors as relevant to your 
argument.)

It's an interesting premise, Craig; but since culture and beliefs are both 
derived from values, diversity of behavior is a manifestation of different 
stages in the development of value-sensibility or the orientation of that 
sensibility itself.  In my opinion, religious and political beliefs are 
nurtured by our cultural associations and intellectual sophistication, but 
are ultimately rooted in our proprietary sensibility to value.  And in this 
respect we are all unique.

Essentially yours,
Ham